Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 7, 2025 Economic development
In a project implemented by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Azerbaijani scientists and farmers, by introducing climate-smart agriculture (CSAA) methods using nuclear and related technologies, were able to more than double cotton yields.
Thanks to the use of the new Cotton Super variety and the careful implementation of COA practices that can increase agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner, yields in the pilot project increased from the national average of three tons per hectare to eight.
A pilot project, launched in 2021, aimed to develop recommendations for CSA practices applicable to cotton production, train Azerbaijani scientists and progressive farmers in CSA practices, and conduct on-farm pilot field trials. In 2022, another project began, aimed at improving best practices for nutrient application and soil and water management in cotton production. It also aims to increase cotton productivity, as Azerbaijan's lands are particularly vulnerable to climate change and soil degradation. Since 1991, the country's average annual temperature has increased by 0.4 degrees Celsius, while precipitation has decreased, and extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heat waves have become more frequent.
"Overall, soil nutrient application and water management strategies account for 60 percent of crop productivity gains," says Mohammad Zaman, a soil scientist at the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre for Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture and the project's lead specialist. "It's important to accurately determine the volume, mode, and stage of growth."
KSAH methods involve the use of isotopic techniques to obtain important data that allows for the optimization of fertilizer use and the improvement of agricultural production efficiency while maintaining soil health.
"When we first started, Azerbaijan's soils were severely degraded, fertility was very low, and the soil lacked a range of essential nutrients necessary for cotton growth," says Zaman. To address this problem, IAEA specialists developed and provided cotton growers with a full range of nuclear and related techniques covering a wide range of crop production aspects, including soil preparation, selection of the best cotton varieties, nutrient application, irrigation of cotton fields, and control of weeds, pests, and diseases.
"Using improved nutrient application, soil, and water management techniques, along with the Cotton Super variety, has allowed us to improve productivity, enhance quality, and increase profits," says Sakhavat Mammadov, a farmer from Azerbaijan who participated in the pilot project and has been implementing COSH practices on his farm for the past two years.
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Nuclear and related methods help improve not only agricultural productivity but also the resilience of agricultural systems to climate change. In Azerbaijan, scientists used a method using the stable isotope nitrogen-15 (N-15). Nitrogen plays a vital role in plant growth and photosynthesis—the process by which plants convert carbon dioxide and sunlight into food. Zaman explained that a deficiency of nutrients such as nitrogen in the soil negatively impacts crop yield and nutritional value. Conversely, excessive or improper application of nitrogen fertilizers leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions and pollution of surface and groundwater.
"Cotton is expected to be one of the crops in Azerbaijan with the greatest decline in yield due to climate change and rapid soil degradation," says Zaman. "The use of isotopic techniques, including N-15, can help adapt to new conditions and make the cotton industry more competitive, as well as provide employment and improve the well-being of the rural population."
Azerbaijan was once a major cotton producer and exporter: in the 1980s, harvests reached 830,000 tons and provided up to a quarter of state budget revenue. However, the transition to a market economy and the rapid growth of other industries in the 1990s led to cotton losing its key role in the Azerbaijani economy, and in 2009, its production fell to a record low of 31,000 tons.
The project results demonstrate the high potential of climate-smart practices to increase agricultural productivity.
"Considering that the total area of cotton plantations in Azerbaijan is 105,000 hectares, implementing the IAEA-proposed CSA methods on 10 percent of this area will yield 84,000 tons of cotton, a 166 percent increase over traditional cultivation methods," explains Zaman. "The application of climate-smart agriculture methods in this project has yielded excellent results; this is very encouraging and opens up exciting prospects for Azerbaijan, which will be able to significantly increase cotton production and, as a result, significantly improve its economic performance."
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